Game Over

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

My mind had short circuited.

Sobrang lakas ng kabog ng dibdib ko.

Kitang-kita ko iyong galit sa mga mata ni Lance... and it was not like I could blame him. I am still his girlfriend. May karapatan siyang magalit sa nakita niya. I could say a lot of shit about him, but not for this. Girlfriend niya ako at walang karapatan si Lui na gawin iyong ginawa niya.

What was he even thinking?!

"Lance—" I said, on crisis mode. I didn't want to be in the center of whatever this was. Not here, not now.

Pero ni hindi ko man lang nadugtungan iyong sasabihin ko nang bigla akong hatakin ni Lui papunta sa likuran niya. Kitang-kita ko iyong galit sa mga mata ni Lance. Walang ibang tao sa paligid namin. Kami lang iyong nandito. Lance had always maintained composure when there were people around us... pero ngayon? Ngayon na kaming tatlo lang ang nandito? I was afraid to see what he's truly capable of.

"Don't bother, Tali. The secret's out," Lui said.

Agad na napaawang iyong labi ko. "What... the hell—"

Lui stood in front of me as tho he was trying to hide and protect me from Lance. I didn't know what game Lui was playing, but he's just making things worse for me! Alam ko na masama si Lance sa paningin niya—ganon din naman sa 'kin but I actually had a plan in place! I knew how vindictive Lance could be. I just wanted to get out of this situation as amicably as I possibly could.

But he just had to start a fucking war.

And throw me right in the middle of it.

"It's not Tali's fault," sabi niya habang naka-tayo pa rin sa harapan ko. "The blame is all on me."

What the hell was he talking about?! Why was he talking as if we're having a full-blown affair?!

Sinubukan kong umalis sa likuran niya, pero mabilis na hinawakan ni Lui iyong kamay ko. He held my wrist so firmly that it made me stop on my tracks. Without words, he told me to stay still. In my head, I knew that I should put an end to this madness, but my whole body betrayed me. Hindi ako maka-galaw mula sa likuran niya. I hid behind him like... what he was telling Lance was the truth.

That we're having an affair.

And we got caught.

"Sorry you had to find out this way," sabi ni Lui kay Lance. I saw as he tapped Lance's shoulder and how that made Lance look murderous. Naka-tingin lang si Lance kay Lui. Hindi siya nagsasalita... but that made me even more nervous. Because at least with words, I'd know what was going on in his mind. Pero kapag wala siyang sinasabi? Wala akong ideya sa pwede niyang gawin.

Lui began to walk and he dragged me along with him. Ramdam na ramdam ko iyong panlalamig ng buong katawan ko nang lagpasan ko si Lance. It sent shivers down my spine kahit hindi siya naka-tingin sa akin.

Shit.

Paano ako sa Monday? Paano kapag nakita ko siya? May ilang buwan pa ako sa firm.

Habang naglalakad kami ay may mga naka-kita sa amin ni Lui. They all threw us looks. Of course they knew that I was with Lance! He'd tell that to anyone who'd listen. Kilala ako ng frat nila bilang girlfriend ni Lance, tapos ay makikita nila ako na hawak-hawak ni Lui? Of course they'd look at us!

Sinubukan kong tanggalin iyong pagkaka-hawak ni Lui sa kamay ko, pero kahit ano'ng gawin ko ay hindi niya binibitawan iyong kamay ko. I didn't want to make an even bigger scene kaya naman naglakad na lang ako kung saan man siya papunta hanggang sa makarating kami sa labas.